Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me a little bit about this Early Version? Did they all have zimmerit applied? Were they used quite a bit through D-day and on etc....

Thanks alot!
Deacon :-)

Sorry about the double post

Most of them had the zimmerit, if your early version means the L/48 version. As for their usage in Normany, I think I need to check my books to answer that. It's a nice AFV, packed quite a punch....

Most, if not all, L/48-gunned variants (the same gun as in the StuGs and PzIVs at that time) had zimmerit applied before leaving the factory. An interesting note is that later L/48-gunned Jagdpanzer IVs did not have the muzzle brake, as it tended to make dust fly up from the ground, due to the gun's closeness to the ground. 769 early Jagdpanzer IVs were produced between January and November 1944. They were supposed to replace the Marder self-propelled anti-tank guns, but were not produced in great enough numbers and were actually quite rare through 1944. Fewer than 60 took part in the Normandy campaign, with no units being fully equipped with them.

Hope that helps,

Nic

Deacon--Folgore is right about there not being many present at Normandy, but they were there. The following units had at least one during June/July 1944 in Normandy area of operations:

228th Panzerjager Abteilung, 166th Panzer Division
12th SS Panzerjager Abteilung, 12th SS Panzer Division
130th Panzerjager Lehr Abteilung, Panzer Lehr Division

If you are really interested in this vehicle, I would suggest picking up the excellent book:

Wydawnictwo Militaria Jagdpanzer IV (#150)


It is one of the first books by Wydawnictwo that is in both Polish and English (they used to be only Polish) and it is filled with great information, pictures, line drawings, and color profiles of only Jagdpanzer IV/48s. They have a companion book (#152) that covers the Jagdpanzer IV/70. I just got mine in from Jadar Hobby in Poland. They have great prices on things such as this that are produced in Poland.

Hey guys!

Thanks for your help. There is alot of knowledgeable folks here for sure!

I have the Revell Jagdpanzer IV Early version that I am planning on bnuilding soon. I read the responses and picked up a few books. I am practicing the Zimmerit technique on an old scrap hull using squadron green putty.

I was also sort of curious about painting and unit markings. From some of the books that I have it seems that the unit markings were more often than not omitted. But it does appear that the vehicle numbering and national insignias were applied to all that I have pics of.

Did these AFV;s operate alongside or actually with the Stug units?

Thanks Again
Deacon

Deacon--Let me consult the book I posted the pic of yesterday when I get home and I will let you know for sure. I THINK that they typcially operated in the same unit as StuGs, but each company had only 1 type of vehicle. The reason that I think that is that I got the Wydawnictwo book on the Jagdpather yesterday as well as the Jagdpanzer and I remember there being a table that showed a typical unit organization. This unit had a company of Jagdpanthers, a company of Jagdpanzer IV/70s, and 2 0r 3 companies of StuG IIIs.

Adam is correct. In Normandy, no unit had more than a company in strength. The Germans kept the Jagdpanzer IVs together in one company, rather than dispersing them throughout the StuG companies.

Nic